The Art of Staying Neutral

The Netherlands in the First World War, 1914-1918

Paper $60.50ISBN: 9789053568187
Published
October 2006
For sale only in the United States, its dependencies, the Philippines, and Canada

An insightful account of the challenges of neutrality in an era of total war, The Art of Staying Neutral shows how the Netherlands remained peaceful throughout World War I. This sustained neutrality, Maartje Abbenhuis demonstrates, was the result of many factors, including masterly diplomacy, careful adherence to international laws and a decisive measure of good fortune. Neutrality, however, did not come without considerable costs to the nation’s economy and security.

This book is a major contribution both to the study of neutrality and the domestic history of the Netherlands.

Chapter 7: Somewhere Between War and Peace: The States of War and Siege

Chapter 8: Ash-Grey with Neutrality: Safeguarding Neutrality in the State of Siege

Chapter 9: The War for Bread and Guns: Supply and the Fate of a Small Nation

Chapter 10: No More War! The Furore over Leave and Demobilisation

Chapter 11: This Dreary War: Expressions of Popular Frustration

Chapter 12: All Hell Has Broken Loose: The Year 1918

Conclusion: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The Paradox of Neutrality

Appendices

Illustrations Credits

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Review Quotes

Hubert P. van Tuyll | Journal of Military History

"In this solid, workmanlike, thoroughly researched study, [the author] shows how difficult the maintenance of neutrality rendered life in the Netherlands during the First World War, affecting every person and every aspect of life. . . . An important contribution."

David Stevenson | International History Review

"[The author's] approach is highly original and her findings are full of interest for an international history readeship, as well as raising broader issues about the practice of neutrality in general. . . . Both Abbenhuis and Amsterdam University Press are to be congratulated for the care they have devoted to producing this excellent monograph."

For more information, or to order this book, please visit http://www.press.uchicago.edu